Hairbrushes generally and round hairbrushes specifically are used to style, smooth and detangle hair. A conventional hairbrush typically includes a handle at its proximal end and at its distal end a portion to hold a plurality of bristles. The proximal end of the brush is often a shaped handle and is constructed of any one or a combination of materials. The distal end is often shaped, for instance, as a round or paddle-like conformation, and is similarly constructed of any one or a combination of materials. Bristles can be constructed of synthetic materials, as well as natural materials and fibers. The length and the distribution of bristles of a brush can vary widely, depending on the type of hairbrush design, the aesthetic appeal sought, or the styling effect desired.
Hairbrushes are generally used in a hair styling process and are often used in conjunction with water or other hair products to achieve a desired styling effect. Dry hair is often difficult to style with a hairbrush and can be more easily styled when it is wet. Therefore, adding water to a hair styling process can ease styling and can be beneficial in terms of achieving a desired effect, reducing the amount of time required and the materials necessary to style hair.
For these reasons, many people prefer to style their hair when it is wet, styling hair after bathing and/or adding water to their hair during a styling process. Adding water to hair can include, for instance, manually applying water to hair or spraying water from a portable, pump-action spray bottle. Applying water manually or from a spray bottle during a styling process, while brushing and styling hair with a brush and/or a blow dryer, often requires substantial manual finesse. Typically, moistening hair and styling hair with a brush are steps performed separately and repeated many times until hair is adequately moistened and styled in a desired fashion. For many people, this process is difficult.
Traveling with hairbrushes and a portable spray bottle can be cumbersome. In addition, use of hairbrushes and a portable spray bottle to style hair away from home or in a public restroom can be inconvenient. In particular, in the work place, people are likely to prefer a discreet means of brushing and styling their hair when necessary.
Thus, a means of conveniently, discreetly, and quickly moistening hair while styling hair without drawing attention to one is desirable.
Prior art hairbrush designs provide methods for moistening and brushing hair including a liquid dispensing hairbrush disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,290. The liquid dispensing hairbrush includes a spray mechanism that allows a user to spray a liquid from a bristle area of the hairbrush. This device requires a user to coordinate multiple manual pumping actions of the spray mechanism with multiple manual hairstyling, e.g., brushing, actions, while requiring the user to aim the spray mechanism at a desired area of hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,737 discloses a combination brush and hairspray system for allowing a user to simultaneously brush and apply hairspray to their hair using only one hand. The combination includes a fluid chamber connected to a plurality of delivery tubes operatively connected to a pump.
The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,927,290 and 5,909,737 include a short trigger mechanism that permits the device to deliver a small volume, and often a heavy flow or ration, of fluid from a reservoir. In many instances, the device potentially delivers either too little fluid or water and the effect is counter-productive, or too much fluid or water at one location that produces messy results. In addition, the short trigger mechanism requires a user to pump the trigger many times or repeatedly during a styling process, which action, as noted, can be ineffective and ultimately can be tiresome.
A device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,531 is configured to store and to dispense fluid from a proximal end of a hairbrush handle, rather than from a portion of the brush containing bristles. A user of this device is not able to simultaneously spray their hair with a fluid or water while brushing their hair.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,158,442 and 6,276,367 disclose hairbrush devices that store fluid in a head of a hairbrush and dispense the fluid from tips of each or several of a plurality of bristles that is connected at a distal end of the hairbrush. As fluid is generally dispensed from the tips of bristles, such a hairbrush design effectively delivers fluid or water to a user's scalp rather than through the user's hair.
While the prior art devices discussed above may provide a user with some functionality with respect to styling hair, such devices do not permit a user to automatically and/or continuously apply a fluid or water spray or mist to their hair, while simultaneously brushing their hair. Thus, it is desirable to have a fluid dispensing device configured as a brush to permit a user to apply a fluid spray or mist to his/her hair during brushing. In addition, it is desirable that such a fluid dispensing device provides a substantially moderate and relatively even distribution of fluid or water throughout hair while it is being brushed.